Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith watches as a play develops during practice in Oxnard. After missing his rookie season while recovering from a serious knee injury sustained in his final year at the University of Notre Dame, Smith is hoping to see his first NFL action this season.(Photo: MICHAEL OWEN BAKER/AP)

Even though he’s yet to play a single NFL down, Smith’s potential impact on the Dallas Cowboys defense this season is a source of debate.

The second-year linebacker stood patiently after Tuesday’s walk-through practice as reporter after reporter questioned him about his long recovery from reconstructive knee surgery.

The smile never left Smith’s face as he expressed his belief that his long journey toward becoming an NFL player was about to come to a successful end.

“Not being able to play right away, it was definitely a challenge,” Smith said. “It tested me mentally. But here I am now. It was a matter of understanding the situation I was in and being patient.

“Sitting out a year I learned so much about myself as a man. I learned patience. Greatness is consistency, and not just when you are winning. There are trials and tribulation and you have to persevere. It battle tested me last year and this year. But now I am blessed to be playing for America’s Team.”

When the Cowboys selected Smith with the 34th pick in the 2016 NFL draft, many believed it was a wasted pick because the damage to his knee was too severe.

Countless times over the last year those predictions appeared accurate, as Smith struggled to regain even some of the form that made him the 2015 Butkus Award winner and a consensus All-American for the University of Notre Dame.

In the last few months Smith experienced some major breakthroughs. Tests on his knee showed the nerve endings have regenerated enough that it’s possible he can make a full recovery.

During Organized Team Activities, Smith was able to go through workouts without any issues, although he does wear a special brace that gives his leg and foot extra support.

Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith will have his first padded practice with the team Wednesday since being drafted in 2016.(Photo: MICHAEL OWEN BAKER/AP)

Head coach Jason Garrett said the team will bring Smith along slowly to prevent any setbacks.

“We've just got to be careful about getting ahead of ourselves with him,” Garrett said. “We'll see how he'll handle the work early on and we'll come up with a plan as we go.”

After getting past the initial shock of the injury, Smith said he put his attention toward making a full recovery and that his faith never wavered during an arduous rehab.

“It’s a focused vision, a determined belief and earned dream,” Smith said. “It’s something that I live with and walk with every single day.

“But I understand the interest people have. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of hope and a lot of doubt. So for me, I work on a day-by-day and moment-by-moment basis.”

A year ago Smith showed up in Oxnard with the rest of the team, but he might as well have been a million miles away since he was unable to participate in any activities.

On Wednesday, Smith will join his teammates for their first padded practice of training camp. It will mark the first time in his professional career Smith will practice in full pads.

Smith didn't want put any added significance on the first padded practice, but did say he was excited to get the chance hit someone — including his older brother Rod Smith, who is vying for a roster spot as a backup running back.

The two brothers faced each other in high school when Rod was a senior and Jaylon was a freshman starting on the varsity team at his own school.

“Needless to say, younger brother won that battle,” Jaylon Smith said with a smile. “I am excited to have him here as my brother and a teammate. We’re even rooming together.”

If Smith is able to come close to returning to the pre-injury form, it will give the defense another playmaker at linebacker alongside Sean Lee.

Lee knows all about coming back from a significant injury. Lee has twice blown out a knee and been forced to go through the painful rehab process. Smith said he’s talked with Lee about his experience and used the information in his own recovery.

“He has been a tremendous help,” Smith said. “He has had to overcome adversity. I am thankful to have him as a teammate and a brother and someone to look up to and run with. And hopefully now someone to play with.”

Garrett said the organization has much respect for how Smith has handled his situation since joining the team.

“I think we had a really good feel for the kind of person that he is based on our experiences with the people at Notre Dame and what they said about him,” Garrett said. “He comes to work every day with a great spirit. It's a challenging injury he was coming back from and he's handled it very well. He's made a lot of progress.”